Maho Bay Camps Eco Resort
Photo: Chad Windham Photography
Every traveler hopes to score a hotel room with a view, but there's no need to leave it to chance. Each of these hotels, inns, and vacation rentals comes with unbelievable views of oceans, lakes, mountains, forests, or skylines.
St. John, U.S. Virgin Islands
What: Maho Bay Camps Eco Resort
Where: St. John, U.S. Virgin Islands
The Details: Established in 1976, this resort has been green from the get-go. A tent cottage gives you priceless Caribbean views at a fraction of the cost.
Rooms and Rates: From $135 per night for two people in high season (Dec. 15-April 30); Concordia Eco-Tents start at $155 and $185 per night.
More Info: tel. 800/392-9004; www.maho.org
Penthouse suite patio at the Andaz Hotel
Photo: Courtesy Andaz Hotel
Los Angeles, California
What: Andaz West Hollywood
Where: West Hollywood, California
The Details: From the Andaz West Hollywood hotel on the Sunset Strip, you can see the Hollywood Hills, the Pacific Ocean, and downtown Los Angeles. The penthouse suite has floor-to-ceiling windows that let it all in.
Rooms and Rates: Andaz View rooms are from $425 per night; the penthouse suite starts at $1,660 per night.
More Info: tel. 877/875-5036; www.westhollywood.andaz.hyatt.com
Queen's Garden Resort, Saba
Photo: Courtesy Queen's Garden Resort
Saba
What: Queen's Gardens Resort
Where: Saba
The Details: Poised 1,200 feet above sea level, Queen's Gardens Resort is the only four-star resort on the isolated island of Saba in the Caribbean. There's only one way around the island, called "The Road." The intimate resort feels like you're staying in the owner's guesthouse. Rooms and Rates: Stay in one of the resort's 10 suites, from $364 per night for the Majesty Romance package. The deal -- valid Feb. 1-Oct. 1, 2011 -- includes the use of an in-room Jacuzzi, an in-room breakfast, a picnic lunch for a rain forest hike, and airport transfers.
More Info: tel. 599/416-3494; www.queensaba.com
View from the Shangri-La Hotel
Photo: Shangri-La Hotel
Paris, France
What: Shangri-La
Where: Paris, France
The Details: Built in 1896 as the home of Prince Roland Bonaparte, the Shangri-La offers views fit for royalty. From your room at this palatial hotel on Chaillot Hill, it's impossible to miss the Eiffel Tower and the Seine. Your room may also look out toward some of the neighborhood's 19 buildings designed by French architect Hector Guimard, recognizable for their quintessentially French cast-iron balconies.
Rooms and Rates: 40 percent of the rooms and 60 percent of the suites offer a direct view of the Tower and the Seine, from €750 (about $1,027) per night.
More Info: tel. 866/565-5050; www.shangri-la.com
View at InterContinental Bora Bora Resort
Photo: InterContinental Bora Bora Resort
Bora Bora, French Polynesia
What: InterContinental Bora Bora Resort and Thalasso Spa
Where: Bora Bora, French Polynesia
The Details: This luxury resort, on a beach along the eastern side of Bora Bora, is accessible only by boat. Its 80 overwater bungalows bring the ocean to your feet; you can step from your deck right into the lagoon.
Rooms and Rates: Off-season rates start at 99,800 French Polynesia Francs (about $1,137).
More Info: tel. 800/424-6835; www.ichotelsgroup.com
Hot tub at The Falls at Reed's Island
Photo: Courtesy of HomeAway.com
Hilo, Hawaii
What: The Falls at Reed's Island
Where: Hilo, Hawaii
The Details: While you soak in a hot tub in this secluded house on the Big Island, you can admire the rain forest and waterfalls outside your window. The house rental, which sleeps up to six people, is already booked through Valentine's Day, but it's not too early to reserve it for your next vacation.
Rooms and Rates: $295 per night for 2-3 nights; $275 per night for 4-5 nights; $245 per night if you book 6 nights or more.
More Info: tel. 877/228-3145; www.homeaway.com
View from Cavallo Point Lodge
Photo: Kodiak Greenwood / Cavallo Point Lodge
San Francisco, California
What: Cavallo Point -- The Lodge at the Golden Gate
Where: San Francisco, California
The Details: Set at the foot of the Golden Gate Bridge, this luxury lodge offers panoramic vistas of the Marin Headlands and San Francisco Bay.
Rooms and Rates: Ask for a contemporary king or junior suite with a view, from $495 per night.
More Info: tel. 415/339-4700; www.cavallopoint.com
Lobby of the Edgewater Hotel in Seattle
Photo: Courtesy Edgewater Hotel
Seattle, Washington
What: Edgewater Hotel
Where: Seattle, Washington
The Details: Celebrities have stayed at the Edgewater Hotel, which provides panoramic views of the Olympic Mountains and the Seattle skyline. Rooms are outfitted with hand-carved pine furniture and custom bedding.
Rooms and Rates: Waterfront rooms from $339 per night; waterfront premium rooms with panoramic views from $399 per night.
More Info: tel. 800/624-0670; www.edgewaterhotel.com
Hotel Sofitel Vienna Stephansdom
Photo: Vincent Thibert
Vienna, Austria
What: Sofitel Vienna Stephansdom
Where: Vienna, Austria
The Details: This glass-and-steel hotel towers over St. Stephen's Gothic Cathedral and the rest of the city. The 182-room hotel, which just opened in Dec. 2010, is expected to unveil its spa and fitness center this spring.
Rooms and Rates: A Superior Room from $307 per night; a Prestige Suite from $720 per night.
More Info: tel. +43/1/906160; www.sofitel.com
Skyline from Sheraton Lincoln Harbor
Photo: Michael Kleinberg/Sheraton Lincoln Harbor
Weehawken, New Jersey
What: Sheraton Lincoln Harbor
Where: Weehawken, New Jersey
The Details: The Sheraton Lincoln Harbor offers city views without the New York City prices. Relax at this recently renovated hotel, where many of the 346 suite-size rooms have unobstructed skyline views. Located on the New Jersey waterfront, the hotel is a short ferry ride from Manhattan.
Rooms and Rates: Ask for a room with a Manhattan view, from $165; non-city views start at $149. Guests who stay four nights or more receive 20 percent off their stay.
